Reality Star "The Situation" Indicted For Allegedly Defrauding The Government

Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino was a breakout star on the Jersey Shore. But the reality star is facing real legal trouble. Fox News shares that Sorrentino and his brother Marc were indicted on charges including tax evasion, structuring and falsifying records Friday.

“Michael and his brother Marc created businesses, such as MPS Entertainment LLC and Situation Nation Inc., to exploit Michael’s celebrity status,” said a statement from the District of New Jersey and the Justice Department's Tax Division.

The statement says that The Situation and his brother conspired to defraud the government by not paying taxes on the reality star's income, cited as approximately $8.9 million from 2010 and 2012. The Situation was a star on The Jersey Shore from 2009 to 2012. Per the statement, "The brothers allegedly filed or caused to be filed with the IRS false tax returns that understated gross receipts, claimed fraudulent business deductions, and disguised income payments made to the brothers and to others and the underreported net business income.”

The brothers reportedly used money from their business accounts to also pay for personal expenses like luxury cars and clothes. Evading Uncle Sam is a serious crime. They face a statutory maximum sentence of five years for the conspiracy charge and three years for each count on aiding in the preparation of false tax returns. The Situation faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years for each structuring count and five years for tax evasion. Marc could get a maximum sentence of 20 years for obstruction. They both also face “a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties.”